do you need to insure your bike to travel through africa? any companys that are good for this?

I know where it is needed for a truck, so presume a bike needs it too. Below is what I had for a truck

Morocco you can use the green card.

Mauritania has its own policy you an buy at the border (from Western Sahara into Mauritania, or at diama or rosso bordering Senegal). I paid about 40usd for a 2 week policy which as a littel steep I thought but had just about had enough of the border officials and wanted to get away! Good thing I did get it there as police en route to St louis were pulling vehicles over and checking for insurance.

There is an ECOWAS policy which i think is underwritten by CEDEAO and covered me for the following countries:

Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. I think other countries like Cote Divoire and Gambia and Guinea were also on this policy but I didnt go there.

For this 6 month policy i got what i think was a great deal. 145 euros. Pretty fair i thought, esp as it was 23 seat capacity.

For Cameroon I had to get an seperate policy, which from memory cost me 60usd fo a month. Not obtainable at the border, had to get that when i hit the first sizeable town (Kumba I think).

For the other side of Africa, you can obtain the COMESA Yellow Card, which covered me for South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Leshoto, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia....but ran out by the time I got to Sudan and Egypt so I bought additonal policies (similar prices to what i paid in West Africa). But from memory Sudan and Egypt were also both on this card. Though the dodgy Egyptians will still prob insist on a local policy.

So all in all should be noticably cheaper for a bike.

A couple of years ago the COMESA card was not accepted in Mozambique nor was the Carnet, however local insurance and temp. import charge was part of the border crossing procedure and was quite cheap although now that they are part of the Commonwealth it may have changed. Ride safe.

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Mike
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Mike is riding the twisty road in the sky

I entered Mozambique from Swaziland and they insisted that i bought local insurance. But i kept pointing out that COMESA yellow card was good, it even had Mozambiques name on the back. He backed down after 20mins or so and looked ather frustrated that he hadnt made a sale!

thanks for the reply, its been helpful. nice to get some info to help start off.

Just a further point of information, the yellow card was bought for me in Nairobi, and it cost 9,800 kenyan shillings for an annual policy. This was for a 23 seat capacity mercedes truck. This was in 2008. Hope that gives you an indication of what a bike might cost if you do bother with getting insurance.